the drabble series
by archimedesis
Summary: A series of Black haze drabbles based on prompts I received on tumblr.
1. Chapter 1

**Prompt: Lidusis POV from the demon king's death to the present.**

* * *

 _The king is dead,_ they declared. _Gone. Disappeared. Never to be seen again_. Rubymonter had been insistent on it, had arranged the funeral and the grand parade, and the memorial. According to her, it was best that the past remain underground with their previous king.

And yet, they buried an empty coffin.

Lispen was only a guard, a king's guard, but only a guard nonetheless. He was forced to observe the farce of a ceremony with the neutrality and aloofness he showed everything else. The king's favorite pet, the one he called _friend_ , Diorook, could not be coerced into participating in the whole affair and instead had chosen to exile himself away in the darkness.

Lispen knew that he could not, for he had a duty to perform.

* * *

The king had not loved him especially, had not named Lispen _friend_ as he did with Diorook. But when Lispen watched him, for once he did not feel so very cold inside, like the world was made of ice. Lispen knew he could watch the king's back for the rest of eternity and be content.

When the coffin was lowered, he knew that it meant nothing. And yet, he felt colder than ever before.

* * *

Lispen may not have had any noble lineage of which to speak of, but he was smart. Smarter than most of the noble demons combined, smarter than Rubymonter, who thought she was so clever. Now that she had rid herself of the king, she prepared herself to receive the demon king's power, to finally erase the last shred of his presence and swallow it whole.

Before she could, Lispen stole it away.

* * *

Humans were such fragile, broken things. He tried hundreds of them. None of them lived, unable to bear weight of incredible power. Lispen began to think none of them could carry it.

And then he found a baby. Lidusis. A newborn, left unattended. They should have known better. The child was cursed now, even though he was meant to live for a while yet.

* * *

Six years later, Lispen felt it. From the depths of the abyss where no demon could reach, the king had awoken. Lispen knew the wait was almost over

* * *

 _He looks so young,_ was the first thought that came to his mind. Lispen forgot himself for a moment, took out his sword, placed it on the king's shoulder.

"Hold," Lispen said. The king looked at him, but his eyes, they were too human. Lispen became aware that the wait was not done yet. He reassumed his facade.

 _"Do you realize… just exactly whose carriage you just stepped on?"_


	2. Chapter 2

**Prompt: Sick!Rood**

* * *

The first sign comes when Rood sniffles in class. Dio's head immediately snaps up.

"Are you sick?" he asks, and pokes Rood experimentally on the side. Meanwhile Lidusis turns to stare at him with his customary fretful manner.

Rood swats Dio's finger away. "No."

Dio frowns. "Are you sure?"

"I don't get sick," Rood answers. And it's true, he doesn't.

* * *

The second sign comes when he and Lidusis are walking through the corridor. Professor Rowell is prowling around, carefully avoiding her teaching duties. Rood manages to spot her first and pulls Lidusis with him to a darkened corner of the room to wait until she walks by.

And then Rood coughs.

Professor Rowell is upon him in a second. "Rood Chrishi, follow me."

"I can't. I'm not feeling very well right now. In fact, I was planning on going to the Nurse's Office." He coughs again for good measure.

Professor Rowell narrows her eyes. "I don't believe you."

They stare at each other in silence.

"Excuse me, professor," Lidusis interjects. "I think it's time for your lessons. I'm walking Rood back to our dorm." Lidusis tugs at his sleeve, and Rood has no choice but to follow him.

* * *

"I'm not sick," Rood protests as he's wrangled into bed, the covers thrown over him. Lidusis ignores him as he tucks in the blankets and adjusts the pillow underneath Rood's head. He only allows it because it's rare for Lidusis to take the initiative. And maybe he's beginning to feel a little tired.

Lidusis places the flat part of his hand against Rood's forehead. "You're running a temperature."

"Anyone would, covered all these blankets," he grumbles.

Lidusis sighs. He walks away from Rood and enters their shared bathroom. From his position on the bed, Rood can hear the tap running. When Lidusis returns he's holding a wet cloth, and he places it on Rood's forehead. "There," Lidusis says. "Do you feel hungry? Are you ready to take your medicine?"

"'M not sick," Rood mumbles, feeling his lids becoming heavier. "I'll just take a nap so you can have your peace of mind, okay?"

Lidusis smiles.

* * *

Sometime later in the night, Rood stirs awake. He doesn't expect Lidusis to still be beside him, half of his body draped over the bed and the other half teetering over the edge. After a moment of confusion passes, Rood decides that he can't leave Lidusis there, and pulls him up until both of them fit on the bed.

Rood settles back into sleep, feeling considerably lighter than he did the day before.

It still doesn't mean he was sick.


	3. Chapter 3

**Prompt: Lidusis POV during his and Rood's first meeting.**

There's someone in his room again.

When Lidusis awakes, the lights have been turned on, and a person is hovering over him. He's still exhausted, never stops being exhausted. But sleep serves as a respite. The person turns away. Lidusis' eyes snap open.

It's the new student, Rood Chrishi. Lidusis recognizes him. But, he can't be in the sharing rooms with Lidusis. They must have made a mistake.

Lidusis draws himself up and gets off the bed.

He lifts a hand to place on the new student's shoulder where he suddenly turns around, stopping him in his tracks by grasping onto Lidusis' arm. They freeze.

" _…_ _What?_ "

Lidusis studies Chrishi's expression for a second. He doesn't seem scared. Shocked, maybe. But not afraid nor like he's on the verge of calling him a monster.

A million questions lie on the tip of Lidusis' tongue. " _What_ " is the beginning to a lot of them. No one has said anything to him in so long.

Lidusis swallows his words down. Backs away. Returns to his bed. Pulls the covers up to shield him.

Rood Chrishi isn't any different than the rest of them. He can't be.


	4. Chapter 4

**Prompt: multiple drabbles of Dio's Pov on getting rood/the demon king back. This is part one of an undetermined number.**

* * *

The blond boy was not the same exactly. The appearance was similar. In a few years, Rood Chrishi could be his master's doppleganger. But he was not the same.

For one, Dio's master had been the melancholic type - regal, poised, removed from the others. Rood Chrishi was an open book. Emotions flitted across his face as easily as breathing. Trepidation. Impatience. And most of all annoyance.

Dio had heard some talk of him before. Many of the students had been discussing the sickly genius who had been unable to begin classed with the rest of the Idun. He didn't care for it all that much. It was a lot of work staying at the bottom of the class. There were students constantly vying to take his place through sheer ineptitude.

Professor Heil pointed to a seat in front of Dio, one that had recently been emptied by an Idun who had given up on becoming a magician. The new student ambled over, taking in his surroundings.

Rood Chrishi's expression changed when eyes travelled past Dio, something which was part confusion and part pity. Dio sensed who he was staring at without having to turn around.

The Artian child, colloquially known as "the monster." Dio had no responsibility to feel guilty about the Artian boy's treatment. He tried to keep a low profile, so he didn't involve himself in the mess. However, Dio admitted that he held some prejudice against him. There was something about him, not anything to do with his personality, but with an aura he emitted. It was unnatural, demonic, and somehow Dio confessed, all too familiar. It confused Dio, and therefore he hated it. As a dragon, it wasn't in his nature to be confused.

Dio returned his attention to the boy in front of him.

Rood Chrishi turned to him. The moment their eyes connected Dio felt something stir, like a being at the receiving of a miracle. For all his humanity, Rood's eyes were a steely blue that could make Hell freeze over.

They weren't the same, no, his master and this boy. But since Dio's imminent future was at the moment rather dull, he figured it would be harmless to befriend him. A way to pass the time.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Talented," he greeted. Predictably, the boy stared at him dumbfounded.

Inwardly, Dio snickered.


	5. Chapter 5

**Prompt: Rood finds out Kielnode is his brother**.

* * *

When Rood storms into his Maste- Kielnode's office, the older blond glances at him in trepidation. On closer inspection Rood can tell that only Miss Ren's hand on his shoulder is keeping him glued to the desk. Rood's fist tightens on the piece of paper in his hand.

"A letter," Rood says, his voice echoing in the silent room.

Kielnode visibly winces. He fiddles with the pen in his hand before taking in his breath. "It was the only way I could think of. We were trapped inside the tower, and I couldn't get to you at the time. I just thought... I had to tell you if we didn't make it out of there."

Images of his childhood flit through Rood's mind. Days unaccounted for, weeks, months, _years_. He never heard a word. "You could have told me any time." He thinks back to Kielnode's actions when he was much younger and not allowed to go out alone. In light of this revelation, it no longer seems an act of distrust. Rood scowls.

"I didn't know how." Kielnode's expression is lost, wavering. But Rood can't forgive him.

"A letter," Rood quips, holding it up for Kielnode to see. "That's what I got. You wouldn't even say it to my face–"

"Rood, please," Miss Ren interrupts, face pleading. "I know it must be hard for you, but try to understand."

He narrows his eyes. "Did you know then?"

"No, I didn't," she anwers softly. Rood stares down at his feet, feeling needlessly guilty. He never liked making her upset.

"All this time..." he mutters.

"I know."

"He's my brother," Rood states, testing out how the word feels in his tongue. "I have a brother, and a mother and father, but he never told me."

"I know."

"How am I..." _supposed to forgive him_ , he thinks in his head. He glances up and Miss Ren is smiling as if she read his mind.

"You just do."


End file.
